Outlaws end North Star's awesome run

After losing to Fort Benton in the Northern C Divisional Girls Basketball Tournament championship game Saturday, North Star was looking to rebound against Roy-Winifred in a challenge game for a chance at state.

However, North Star fell, 47-34, to Roy-Winifred Monday at the Great Falls Four Seasons Arena. North Star's season is now over, but North Star head coach Jennifer Wendland believes her team surprised many, including themselves.

"If I would have asked them at the beginning of the season if we'd be here in this game, I don't think any of them would have said yes," Wendland said. "I'm very proud of them, but it was a hard-fought game and Winifred outplayed us."

North Star looked solid early on as they grabbed a 14-9 lead by the end of the first quarter. Jade Wendland led the Knights with six points after hitting a pair of three-pointers. The second quarter told a different story as Roy-Winifred went on a 13-0 run to take a 24-14 lead at halftime. Isabelle Heggum led the way for Roy-Winifred as she scored nine points in that frame, including two three-pointers.

"They kept running the same thing, we just stopped what we were doing," Jennifer Wendland said. "Our shots didn't fall. We weren't attacking the basket like we should. I think their height made our girls a little tentative, but we still have to take it to them."

In the second half, the Knights played better but were not able to dig themselves out of their hole. They were able to cut the deficit to 12 points, but at that point there was only a minute and a half left in the game.

The Knights' offense struggled throughout most of the game as they shot 24.1 percent from the floor and 16 percent from the 3-point line. They went 2-for-7 at the free-throw line for 28.6 percent shooting. Jade Wendland led the Knights with 13 points on 5-for-16 shooting from the field. Laynie Sattoriva scored 11 points for the Knights as she shot 5-for-10 from the field.

On the other hand, the Outlaws were on a roll on offense throughout most of the game. They shot 50 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from beyond the arc. Heggem led Roy-Winifred with 18 points on 6-for-13 shooting from the field and 3-for-3 shooting from the 3-point line. Trinity Edwards scored 15 points for the Outlaws as she went 5-for-6 from the field and 5-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Roy-Winifred defeated Box Elder in the Northern C consolation game Saturday just to have a chance at a challenge game. With North Star's loss in the championship game, the Outlaws clinched that opportunity. With the win, Roy-Winifred will now head to the State Class C Girls Basketball Tournament at Lockwood High School in Billings that begins on March 10.

With the loss, the Knights' season is now over. While it did not end the way they had liked, it was still a successful one. North Star won the District 9C Tournament for the first time in school history. They defeated three-time defending champion Fort Benton in an upset to do so. The Knights then won two games in the Northern C tournament to make it to the championship game where they lost a tight game to Fort Benton. Jennifer Wendland noted improvement in her team throughout the season, especially after a slow start.

"We started out slow and they trusted the process," Jennifer Wendland said. "As we kept going, we kept improving and improving. They worked hard and they started to believe in themselves."

As North Star heads into the offseason, Jennifer Wendland will focus on adjusting to the loss of her two seniors in Kenidee Wolery and Shayla Borlaug and getting her new players up to speed.

"Building forward, we're going to lose two great seniors and great leadership and so we need two girls to fill that role," Jennifer Wendland said. "We'll be back. We're going to come back strong and a new game plan because you got new girls coming in, so it will be something different next year."

Roy-Winifred 47, North Star 34, 2nd

North Star 14 0 9 11 – 34

Roy-Winifred 11 13 16 7 – 47

North Star – Jade Wendland 13, Laynie Sattoriva 11, Kenidee Wolery 4, Shayla Borlaug 4, Kaytlyn Domire 2.

Roy-Winifred – Isabelle Heggem 18, Trinity Edwards 15, Megan Bergum 9, Cadence Tillman 2, Madeline Heggem 2, Jayda Southworth 1.